Dental implement



N ,1 G. BERGENDAL 5 2,488,846

DENTAL IMPLEMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1946 f .zg..Z-

Patented Nov. 22, 1949 OFFICE DENTAL IMPLEMENT Gunnar Bergendal, Angby, near Stockholm, Sweden Application February 5, 1946, Serial No. 645,606 In Sweden March 3, 1944 This invention relates to dental implements, and particularly to a power operated dental tool for condensing and compacting a filling of a plastic or semi-plastic material, such as amalgam, deposited in a cavity in a tooth, by subjecting such filling to a rapid succession of taps or blows.

One object of the invention is to provide such a mechanically operated mallet or plugger which is simple and eflicient and enables the operator to condense the filling at his discretion according to the best methods.

Another object is to provide a dental plugger adapted to be connected to and operated by the flexible shaft of the dental engine to the end that the plugging tool shall be rapidly vibrated either longitudinally or laterally so as deliver a rapid succession of blows against the filling in the dental cavity.

Still another object is to secure at the operators discretion either longitudinal or lateral vibration of the plugging tool without rearranging any element of the implement.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects the invention consists of the structure hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain structural embodiments, such disclosed structures constituting but, however, some of the many mechanical forms in which the principles of the invention may be realized.

On said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my improved dental tool mounted on a handpiece partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the elements shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially in the plane of line III-III in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows the right-hand part of Fig. 2 with a movable member thereof in shifted position to enable removal of the plugging member through an aperture normally closed by said shiftable member.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of another embodiment.

The implement as shown comprises angular handpiece l of the general design ordinarily used in dental engines the front end or head 2 of which is constructed as a cylinder 3 housing a plunger 4 mounted for reciprocation within the cylinder 3. The cylinder 3 is closed at its bottom end by a screw plug 5 limiting the movement of the 5 Claims. (Cl. 32-64) plunger 4 downwards in Fig. 3. Raising from a base plate 5 loosely resting on the top face of the plunger 3 is a stem 1 forming the working tool or plugging member proper which obviously may be constructed to suit any desired requirements as regards the length of the pluggingmember, the shape of the working surface thereof etc.

The angle or bent type of handpiece l, 2 as shown houses a shaft adapted to be coupled to and rotated from the flexible shaft of a dental engine in any conventional manner. Only the section of said shaft situated in the head 2 is indicated at 8 in Fig. 3 and carries at its free end an excentric or cam 9 formed integrally therewith and subjecting the plunger 4, in the rotation of the shaft 8, to a rapid succession of blows or taps in that the cam 9 at each revolution of the shaft strikes against the internal face of the top wall is of the plunger l. By means of the base plate 6 these blows or taps are transmitted to the working tool i supposed tobe pressed against the filling in the cavity of the tooth. Obviously the force of the blows thus communicated to theworking tool 1 may be controlled during the operation simply by pressing the top face H of the tool 1 more or less firmly against the filling.

If required the working tool or plugging member 1 may also be caused to vibrate laterally whenever this is desired for condensing the filling of amalgam in the dental cavity or for facilitating the manipulation of the handpiece in the patients mouth. To this end the operator needs only press the plugging member 1 with its lateral face against the filling whereby the plugging member 7 under the influence of the pressure of reaction represented by the arrow as shown in Fig. 3 is caused to occupy a slightly inclined position. To permit this inclination the plugging member extends with proper lateral play through an aperture I! in the cover l2 of the cylinder 3 as shown in Fig. 3. Then the base plate 6 will also occupy an inclined position pressing the plunger 4 downwards correspondingly. In the rotation of the cam 9 the plugging member l will, however, be raised from the inclined position by means of the plunger 4 and the base plate '6 once for each revolution of. the shaft 8.

and in this manner the desired lateral or transverse vibration will be communicated to the plugging member 1 when pressed against the filling at a point on the lateral face of'member l. Obviously, also in this case the strength of the blows may be controlled by varying the force of pressing the plugging member against the work.

From the foregoing it may be seen that I have provided a simple and efiicient mechanically operated dental mallet the plugging member of which without in any way structurally modifying the mallet or rearranging any of its parts may be used at the operators discretion to vibrate the plugging member either longitudinally or transversely, and in either case the operator may regulate the intensity of the blows to suit the purpose simply by varying the force by which the top face or lateral face of the plugging member is pressed against the work.

By turning the screw plug in either direction the size of the stroke of the plunger 4 as well as the intensity of the blows to which the plunger 4 is subjected when forced by the working tool '1. against the top face of the plug 5 may be regu-- lated. Thus, the working tool l is subjected to. additional blows of an intensity less than that of the blows from the cam 9 and alternating therewith whereby the frequency of the blows is doubled.

To facilitate the insertion and removal ofthe working tool 1 the cover l2 of the cylinder 3 is formed with a recess l3 (Fig. l) normally closed by a corresponding filling member i l mounted on a lever pivotally mounted at is, one half of the circumferential wall of the chamber above the plunger 4 within which thebase plate 5 is situated being formed by the cover l2 of the cylinder 3 and the opposite half by the lever l6;

By manually rotating the lever to the position f shown in Fig. 4 the operatormay easily insert theworking tool 1 with the associated base plate 6 in lateral direction and then return the lever IE tothe position shown in Fig 2 in which the base plate 6 is prevented" from performing non-- desired lateral movements.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5' difiers from that described substantially merely therein that for the base plate 6 in Fig. 3 I have substituted a spherical base member l8 situated within a conical recess l-B at the top of the. plunger 4 and looselyengaging the walls of the recess l9. Besides, the aperture l! in the cover l2. of the cylinder 3 through which the-stem portion- 1 raising from the spherical basemember l8 extends is considerably narrowerthan in Fig; 3, a minor lateral play. being suiiicient. in the modification-shown inFig. 5; 7

Obviously, the illustrated camdrive for. theplunger represents only one of the numerous possibilities of actuating the. plungerand the right is, therefore, reserved to drive the plunger by any. other means well known in percussion and similar apparatus.

What I claim is:

1. A power operated dental plugger comprising, in combination, a plugging member having. astem-shaped. element and aspherical. base loosely engaging a conical recess in the adjacent face of a. plunger mounted for reciprocation. within. a cylinder mount/ed: at the front. end. of a dental handpiece, a cover for. said cylinder. provided with an aperture throughwhichsaid stemeshaped element extends.

2. A dental. plugger. of the-power operated type comprising a casing having an. opening therein a plugging. member extending out of. the opening in said case, a reciprocating plunger against which said plugging member loosely engages so as to be free to move in all directions, means for rapidly reciprocating said plunger for communicating a rapid succession of blows to said plugging member so as to cause it to vibrate, said plunger having a surface engaging said plugger of such shape as to straighten the plugger, so that the vibration of the plugger is directed either longitudinally or transversely at the operator's discretion so as to condense or compact a tooth filling when contacted by said member.

3. A power operated dental plugger comprising in combination, a hand piece having a cylinder formed in its front end, a plunger mounted for reciprocation within said cylinder, a plugging member. having a stem-shaped element extending out of the opening in the hand piece and being loose in said opening so as to be able to tilt with respect thereto, said plugger also having a base loosely engaging the. plunger, and means for reciprocating. said. plunger so as to com.- municate a rapid succession of blows to said base. to cause. said stem-shaped element to vibrate.

.rapidly said plunger having means for straightening any tilt of the plugger so that its-vibration may be either longitudinal. or transverse at the operators discretion when pressed against a fill.- ing in a dental cavity to be condensed and compacted by said plugging member.

4. A power operated dental plugger comprising, in. combination, a hand piece having a cylinder formed at its front end, a plunger mounted for reciprocation within said cylinder, a plugging member having a stem-shaped element and a base plate loosely engaging the adjacent face of said plunger, a rotary cam. for communicating a rapid succession of blows to said plunger said hand piece having an opening through. which the plugger extends and which said plugger fits loosely so as to be tiltable, said plunger having a guide.

surface for straightening any tilt of said plugger, and a shaft for rotating said cam.

5. Apower operated dental plunger comprising, in combination, a dentalhand piece having a cavity formed in its front end, a plunger having a fiat face. mounted for reciprocation in said cavity,.a plugging member having a stem-shaped element and a flat transverse. base plate loosely engaging the adjacent face of said plunger, said hand piece being of considerably longer diameter than said stem-shaped element and through which saidstem-shaped element extends where.- bysaid plunger reciprccates the plugger and repeatedly straightens any tilt of the plugger so that the plugger is operative for compacting op.- erations either axially or laterally of itself.

GUNNAR BERGENDAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofv record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STAES PATENTS Number Name Date 656,124 Kinnison Aug. 14, 1900 1,641,031 Gaillard Aug. 30, 193.7 

